Ms. Coutts & Ms. Gillingham

Month: September 2026

Orange Shirt Day

Division 7 has been talking about Orange Shirt Day and, more broadly, the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation in Canada. Truth and reconciliation is an ongoing process that requires reflection and action. In an interview, Phyllis Webstad, the person whose experience inspired Orange Shirt Day, noted that there will come a time when the people who lived through the experience of residential school will be gone, and we are dependent on our youth to carry forward the knowledge of Canada’s history.

Many students already have some background knowledge about residential schools and are continuing to learn challenging truths of Canada’s past. Reconciliation starts with a willingness to listen and learn in order to restore positive relationships for affected communities.

The Honorable Justice Murray Sinclair, chief commissioner of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, said that “education is what got us into this mess, and education is what will get us out of it.” On Wednesday September 30, I hope you can take some time to learn and reflect.

Here a couple videos to support talking about Orange Shirt Day:

Below are some links to support you in your truth and reconciliation journey:

Click here for more information on the Survivors Flag

Still Waiting…

Hi everyone! We are still waiting to reconnect to the internet from our school. I will try to update the Planner board, but consistency may be patchy still. Please make sure you are having a look at and signing your child’s planner daily. Remember to encourage them to take ownership over their planning habits, and feel free to ask them to elaborate on what they’ve written. We’re focusing on writing brief, yet clear, notes to guide us in looking ahead to important dates and tasks.

Scholastic Book Club

Do you enjoy buying your own books? Check out the Scholastic Book Club for titles you might be interested in.

When you buy a book through Scholastic, using our class code, we get points to use towards purchasing books for our class library and other classroom-related items. It helps me to refresh and update what I have to offer in the classroom. The books ordered by your family are shipped to Seaforth, and I distribute to the students who ordered. (And who doesn’t get excited for mail day?! Woohoo!)

Our class code is: RC377163.

A new flyer comes out every month. Paper and online versions will be available. Check out the Fall flyer here, or look for the paper flyer coming home today (September 17).

 

Welcome to Division 7!

Hello! Welcome! Bienvenue!

This is the class website for Division 7 at Seaforth. Here you will find posts about what we are doing, helpful links, our “Planner Board,” and more!

Here are some reminders and information as we enter into our new school year.

Arriving and Leaving

Division 7 will be entering and exiting through our outside classroom door. (At the moment our door says “Room 14 Ms. Coutts & Ms. Gillingham,” but I’ll take that down by the end of the week.) If you need to pick up your child early or there is an appointment that will delay their arrival to school, please send me an email and/or call the office as a heads up, and sign in/out your child at the office.

Outdoor Recess/Lunch Times

Students will be eating their snack outside. They may be outside in a variety of weather, so encourage your child to become increasingly involved with planning for what they need for their time outside. Proper rain gear, and even a change of clothing, can make a big difference in comfort for the rest of the day!

Planners

Students will be bringing home a planner today. We will write in the planners each day, and the students should be taking the initiative to share their planner with you at home. They should be prepared to answer any questions you have about what they have written. We will be working on recording information clearly and concisely, ensuring we include enough detail to be understood. Your child will bring you a pen to sign their planner, and it is their responsibility to ensure their planner travels to and from school with them each day.

Please see our online “Planner Board” here.

School Supplies

We are hoping that all students have their supplies by the end of this week. Please find the grade 4/5 supplies list linked here.  If possible, avoid sending “novelty” supplies, as these can become quite distracting (including mechanical pencils!); the simple/basic supplies are often the best. Tip: if you have a big box of fine liners, for example, it’s a good idea to only send a few to school and keep a stash at home (so they don’t all end up in the lost and found box).

Phones/Devices

We kindly ask that phones and devices are left at home if possible. If students do have phones at school, they must remain in a safe spot in their backpacks. If your child has a smart watch, please remind them to keep it on School Mode, and not to use it during school hours. If possible, please avoid calling or texting your child during class time; feel free to leave a message at the office, or send me an email, and we will ensure your child receives it.

Indoor Shoes

Students will be required to have appropriate non-marking footwear for the gym. If they have inside shoes you’d like to keep at school, please send them in a cloth bag that your child can hang on their hook. It would be wonderful if your child could change out of their boots on rainy/snowy days to help preserve our classroom space as well.

Schedule

We are still in the process of finalizing schedules for P.E., Music, Library, etc. Once these are in place, we will be able to fit all the other puzzle pieces together. I will post these out-of-classroom events under the Planner Board menu item on our homepage.

Additionally, as Head Teacher at Seaforth, my classroom time will be all day on Mondays, Thursdays, and Fridays. Ms. Gillingham will be the classroom teacher on Tuesdays and Wednesdays while I am working in the office.

More information will come along as needed once schedules and routines become established. Feel free to send me an email if you have any questions. We look forward to working with all our new Division 7 families.

With care,

Ms. Amanda Coutts

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